


House Pet

by RivanKing



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Other, puppy stiles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-08-04
Packaged: 2018-03-18 23:42:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3588345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RivanKing/pseuds/RivanKing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek wakes one night and finds himself being invaded by an unexpected four legged house guest.</p>
<p>Antics ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Uninvited House Guest

**Author's Note:**

> I was struck by an idea that with Derek being able to go full wolf, he might be able to actively communicate with other wolves and K9 species. Then I wondered what would happen if he was the only bridge between a pack member and the rest of the pack.  
> Thus, this fanfic began.

                Derek woke to the sound of scratching on the door to his apartment. His first reaction was a low growl that started in his chest, then he tried to ease out of his bed making as little noise as possible. “If this is another wolf invasion, I won’t be caught off guard,” he thought to himself. He crept through his loft and made his way stealthily to his door. He was ready for a fight. He stood in the shadows away from the line of sight, should anyone burst in, but after a few moments of tension and awkwardly crouching in the darkness, he realized that whatever was at his door was not barging in. Then he realized something else, the scratching was coming low from the other side. Not quite high enough to be a predator of any real threat.

                He slunk from the shadows and cautiously made his way forward, straining his ears to determine the cause of the noise through the giant steel door. The scent wafting through the bottom crack tickled his nostrils and a familiar recognition struck his awareness. It was the scent of pack.

                Grumbling to himself, Derek let the rest of the tension ease from him as he shifted from his beta form back into his now fully woken human state. He reached for the handle and began heaving the door aside as he grumbled, “Stiles, are you even aware of what fucking time it is?”

                As the door slid open, the response he got was one he was not expecting. A yippy bark answered his remark, and a small husky bolted into Derek’s apartment.

                Derek’s eyes searched the hallway outside his loft for the source of the scent, before turning his attention to the young pup that was now seated awkwardly on his sofa. Derek eyed the dog suspiciously, who was giving him this pleading look; head cocked to the side, nose in the air, and golden-wheat eyes that seemed a little too large for its youthful head.

                “I’m gonna kill Stiles when I see him,” he said to the dog. “A wolf’s den is no place for a puppy, and I am certainly not running a kennel.” He got a few sharp barks in response, but the pup seemed to not care that he wasn’t wanted. Derek went to his room to retrieve his phone and call Stiles, the pup stayed plastered to the sofa as Derek stormed through the apartment, but his eyes never left Derek.

                Derek came back into the room with his ear to his phone. The unanswered ringing from the other end was wearing on his patience as it finally kicked up to voicemail. “Stiles, this isn’t funny! I am in no mood to be taking care of your dog. I can smell you all over him! Come back over and pick him up or I’m putting him out on the street!” Derek hung up the phone and threw it onto the table in front of the dog. “Down!” Derek barked trying to command the dog from his furniture. The pup simply yawned and stretched out. Derek commanded the dog to get down again but achieved the same lackluster response.

                It was 1am and Derek was not in the mood to play. He let his eyes shift to their alpha red as he stared down the puppy. This time the dog whimpered and began to slink forward, readying his short legs for the jump back to the floor, but at the last moment, the dog simply stood back up and opened its mouth, tongue lolling out to the side. Derek was shocked. Not only had the pup not followed his alpha command, but now it was sitting, ears perked, tail wagging, and tongue out. The dog was actually laughing at Derek.

                Derek gave up, walked over to the far side of the sofa and plopped down. He threw his head back and lazily ran a hand through his hair, letting it rest over his eyes as he collected his thoughts. This was a very strange dog. It had stayed at his door, trying to get in even though Stiles was nowhere to be seen and Derek hadn’t picked up on any noise of movement in the building, or the familiar rumble of Stiles’ jeep. It was if the dog instinctively knew that he was supposed to be here. On top of that, it hadn’t subdued to his alpha influence nor shied away at Derek’s own wolven scent. Dogs and wolves were supposed to be instinctively wary of each other.

                Derek was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice as the pup crawled over and lay down beside him. It lifted Derek’s free hand with its nose and began to lick at his palm. Unsure of how to react, Derek raised his hand and rested it on the back of the dog’s head and waited for Stiles to call him back.

 ******

                Derek woke the next morning with a crick in his neck. He raised his head at the sound of his phone going off and had a moment of realization that he must have fallen asleep on the sofa. Then another realization struck him, his lap was warm. He tilted his head forward, wincing at the sound of his neck cracking as he looked down and saw the dog. At some point in the night it had moved from beside him to directly in his lap.

                Derek scooped him up and set him aside, much to the dismay of the now cold and whimpering puppy. Derek walked over to the table where his phone was and picked it up as it cut off and went to his voicemail. He had a brief moment to register Scott’s number. A few moments later, the phone chirped alerting its owner to a new message. Derek hit the app for his voicemail and began to read the message from Scott.

                ‘Derek, I’m on my way over. Something really weird has happened and Stiles has gone missing! Be there in 20.’

                Derek mutters to himself as he brushes the loose fur from his clothes and walks toward the kitchen to make himself some coffee. The pup yawns in agreement at his dismay to being woken up and languidly stretches on the sofa before plopping down to the floor to follow Derek into the kitchen. Derek, having never been around too many dogs in his life because his wolf scent has always kept them away, wonders as he watches the pup stretch if dogs normally have such lanky bodies. The dog paces up to the fridge and sits down unceremoniously, staring thoughtfully and perplexed at the appliance. Derek glances down at him while he grabs himself a mug and the dog yips in Derek’s direction.

                Derek notes the up-turned ears, and the askance way the dog tilts its head to the side when it barks, almost as if it were asking him a question. “Are you hungry?” Derek asks, slightly amused with himself for talking to a dog like it’s a person. A few quick barks confirms Derek’s quandary and he opens the fridge and begins to rummage for any kind of acceptable food to feed the pup. Derek isn’t quite sure what would be ok, and he wasn’t expecting to have a pet around so he certainly has no dog food for his new guest, so he starts to look at the leftover containers to see what’s in stock. The inner wolf in him stops his hands when they lift the lid of a Tupperware container with a two-day-old t-bone residing within. Having been a wolf all his life, Derek has an affinity for red meat, and he knows that if his inner wolf enjoys the steak, then this half-wolf dog breed would most likely share the same appreciation.

                “Do you want some steak, little buddy?” Derek asks. The happy moan that escapes the dog confirms Derek’s assumption and so he grabs a plate and drops the steak onto it. “This was supposed to be for Scott, he’s another wolf that you will meet in a minute, but he bailed on pack night a few days ago so it was just gonna go to waste. I’m not sure, but I feel like he is to blame for your being here, so you can have it. Would you like that? Do you want to eat Scott’s steak?” Derek coos the last part and the pup starts to bark in excitement, tail wagging. Derek sets the plate down on the floor and moseys his way back over to the sofa to sip on his coffee while he waits for Scott to arrive.

                After ten minutes and Derek has downed his first cup of coffee, he pours himself another, stepping over the dog that is now contentedly gnawing on the steak bone. He places his fresh cup on the coffee table to cool while he goes in his room to change clothes. When he walks back into the den of the loft, he is greeted by the absurd image of the pup on the table, nose deep in what should have been Derek’s second cup of caffeine. Derek rushes to the table and goes for the mug, unsure of what effects the coffee might have on the dog, but as his hand goes down for the handle, the dog looks up, eyes meeting Derek’s own. The pup begins to growl. Derek balks at that for a moment, not really sure how to respond. He shakes off his moment of confusion and lightly swats at the nose of the dog with a playful hand. The dog stops, stupefied for a moment, and Derek reaches out and swipes the mug.

                The two of them stare each other down for a moment, both frozen, waiting to see who breaks first. A thought tickles the back of Derek’s mind, and he knows it’s a terrible decision, but in an attempt to assert his dominance over the space and the things contained within, Derek raises the mug to his lips and takes a long gulp. He never lets his eyes leave the pup’s as he does so, mentally stating to the wiry creature, ‘this is mine.’ The tail of the dog stops twitching at the recognition of the alpha assertion and Derek has a brief moment of triumph. It is very brief however as Derek drains the last of the cup and takes it to the kitchen to rinse it out in the sink. As he stands over the sink and begins to wash the inside of the cup to free the dog hair now residing within, the pup creeps behind him and hikes its leg and pees over Derek’s bare ankles.

                Derek drops the cup into the sink in surprise and starts freeing a slew of curse words from his mouth as the dog bolts out of sight. He shifts into beta form and roars but hears no response. He lets his features fall back into human shape as he grabs a towel and begins to clean up the mess on and around his feet. Just as he is finishing up, he smells Scott approaching and is greeted by the sound of knocking on his door. Derek calls to Scott to let himself in, not raising his voice because he knows the other were can hear him perfectly fine.

                Scott enters the loft and stops, nostrils flaring outward as he catches the scent of the pup and then looks down at Derek’s feet. “Don’t ask,” Derek grumbles. Scott stifles a laugh and goes to sit down on the sofa.

                “Something happened to Stiles last night,” Scott starts.

                “I figured as much,” Derek responds as he paces the room towards Scott. “What happened this time?”

                “Well…. We were fighting,” Scott begins, “much as friends do, and it turned into rough housing, then wrestling. We went from being mad at each other over him calling me a cheater at a video game because of my heightened reflexes, to laughing at each other and toppling around in my room. The next thing I know, his arm finds its way into my mouth and I may have, possibly, I don’t know…bit him.”

                “YOU WHAT!?” Derek yells in surprise.

                “Not like bit him bit him,” Scott stammers, “but human bit him. I think. I don’t remember my fangs being out so I can’t be sure. But Stiles freaked out! Completely overreacted!”

                Scott is alerted to a quiet growl, just before he feels teeth biting into the back of his leg where its resting against the front of the sofa. He kicks it forward and raises it in alarm by the sudden attack and sees the snout of a dog peeking out from under the sofa. “What the hell?” Scott cries in alarm, more from shock than from pain because he already feels the wound sealing itself back up.

                The pup creeps out from behind the sofa and hops up onto the table, sitting directly across from Scott. His head slinks forward and he bares his teeth but makes no noise. Scott looks into its angry, hot whiskey eyes and a perplexed expression crosses his face. He timidly scoots forward on the couch and begins to scent the air around the dog. Scott’s head jerks back in surprise as a single word questions his lips, “Stiles?”

                Derek chokes out a startled cough, “No way.” But cogs begin to click inside Derek’s mind about the peculiar behavior of the dog; it’s scent, how it struts cockily about, the way it laughed at Derek’s attempt imposed dominance, and the way it reacted to Derek removing it’s coffee. It’s the last part that really gets him, He remembers Stiles having the exact same response one morning after the pack had all crashed there once a particularly tiresome battle had gone down. “No….” Derek stammers again. It can’t be, can it?” The dog barks in reply as if it understands the conversation and confused look on everyone’s faces.

                Derek gets a bold idea and gets up from where he is seated, stripping off his shirt and trousers as he does so. A faint blush creeps up Scott’s cheeks when Derek’s pants come off and he isn’t wearing any underwear. The dog just stairs appreciatively at Derek as the clothing drops to the floor, then Derek is shifting into his full wolf self. He pads around to the far side of the table as the pup turns to follow him. Derek sits on his haunches and lowers his gaze to be level with that of the pup. His eye’s flash blue, then red and he drops his ears slightly as a questioning bark lolls out of his mouth, “Stiles? Is that you?”

                “The one and only!” comes the k9 reply. “And thank God you can understand me like this, he whimpers. I have to take a shit and I don’t know if you’d find that as amusing as me peeing on your feet.”

                Derek-wolf falls over to the floor, shaking violently and Scott jumps up from the sofa and runs over to the fallen were. “Derek! Are you alirght?” he pleads to the shaking wolf.

                Derek’s shaking increases as a rumbling starts in his chest. He lets go of his wolf self because he can’t sustain his concentration for it anymore. He shifts back, naked and lying on the wooden floor, laughing so hard his whole body is vibrating.


	2. What Do We Do Now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek, Scott, and Stiles have to figure out the best course of action for how to handle their peculiar situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, So this chapter is basically going to be a segway chapter to lead into the actual story.  
> The next one will be full of musings and antics, I just needed to have a chapter to rationalize why our duo is going to be paired together and how the situation will be addressed.

“How could this have happened?” Scott asks. “I’ve seen wolves created, kanimas, and even a werejaguar, but this….,” Scott gestures towards Stiles. “What could even cause something like this?”

                Derek, who is now dressed again and sitting on the floor beside Stiles, scratches at his beard as he mulls it over. “I’m honestly not sure. I’ve heard stories, legends maybe, but never actually seen anything like this. Maybe we should go see Deaton?”

                “We can’t,” Scott says as his face drops. “He’s out of town till tomorrow. He said something about consulting with animal control and the wildlife service upstate to track down a predator that’s been killing off livestock.”

                “Well,” Derek says as he goes to playfully tug at Stiles’ thumping tail, “what are we supposed to do with him until then?”

                “I suppose I could take him back home with me. We used to have a dog when I was younger and I am a vet’s assistant, so I should be able to manage to keep him out of trouble.” Scott looks from Derek to Stiles and Stiles begins to bark at him.

                “I think he may still be mad at you,” Derek says as the barking quiets. “He should be ok here I suppose.”

                Stiles yips in confirmation at the idea and his tail goes back to thumping in contentment. Derek scoops him up and places him onto his lap.

                Scott shoots Derek a questioningly funny look. “Don’t you think that’s a bit weird?”

                “What?”

                Scott points at Stiles and then up at Derek. “You, treating him like a pet.”

                Derek stops playing with Stiles for a moment to consider the outside appearance of it. “No,” he finally responds after consideration. “In all honesty, this is how my younger sister acted when she was little. Cora was very affectionate, and as a born wolf, being raised the way we were, you accept a certain lack of boundaries that come with wolf children. We were always all over each other.”

                “As intriguing as the thought of a super lovey you and little were-Cora might be, Stiles is not a wolf, and he certainly is not a child. You are actually affectionately playing with and snuggling an 18 year old.” The absurd look on Scott’s face is still there as he finishes talking.

                “You may be right,” Derek assesses, “But you are forgetting one major detail. He’s pack. This is how we were raised to handle young pack members. You show them affection, and respect, and if the need for it arises, you show them discipline. Plus, and here is the key point for why he is going to stay here, I can actually communicate with him should he need anything. Even the best vets and dog lovers still only have their own assumptions to go off of when caring for an animal. I on the other hand can ask him outright. So, would you rather take him with you and _guess_ at what he needs, or leave him here with me?”

                Scott deadpans for a moment, completely at a loss for Derek’s argument. “Ok, fine. But should anything happen, you call me!” Derek agrees and Stiles hops from the protective space of his lap.

                “Have you thought about what you’re going to tell his father?” At Derek’s mention of papa Stilinski, Stiles lets out a soft whimper. “Don’t worry, Stiles. We’ll figure this out,” Derek whispers to the worried pup.

                Stiles’ ears twitch at the whispered mention of his name and he turns his head towards Derek, an amused expression passes over his furry face.

                “Skill check one!” Derek responds as he looks at Stiles. “He has enhanced hearing now!”

                “Don’t get off topic, Derek,” Scott chides. “We still haven’t actually figured out what we are going to do and why does it have to be me that comes up with something to tell John? I mean, you’re the one that thinks they’re better equipped to handle the situation, so why should I be the one lying to his dad?”

                Derek levels his gaze at Scott before replying, “The man has tried to arrest me multiple times for murder and isn’t likely to believe anything that comes out of my mouth. Do you really think that if I called and told him that his son was going to be staying here, and couldn’t come to the phone to tell him himself, that John wouldn’t show up with a platoon of cops fully armed to break down my door?”

                “That’s…. a rather good point,” Scott replies. “But I’m still not really sure what to tell him. I mean, I know I can’t tell him that Stiles has changed, or even hint that I may be at fault. So what do you want me to say?”

                Derek mulls it over for a moment as he watches Stiles pace the floor, sniffing things and testing his other senses. An idea hits Derek. “Tell John that Stiles is in training.”

                “That won’t work,” Scott responds. “If he were doing any training, he’d be out with me for it.”

                “Not necessarily. Maybe he wanted more intense training, and let’s face it, as his best friend, you tend to go a little easy on him. So Stiles wanted to come here, away from outside distractions, where he can get a more rigorous workout and no one would be pulling their metaphorical punches. This way, if his dad calls, we have an acceptable reason for Stiles not to answer because he doesn’t want to lose focus, and it explains why he would be with me and not you.”

                “I still don’t like it,” Scott says.

                “You don’t have to like it, Scott. You just have to make John believe it. Plus, if John asks you about it, you’ll already actually know what’s going on and can just cover if need be.”

                Scott growls low with unease, drawing a worried expression from Stiles, but as Scott meets the dog’s gaze he stops. An amused expression crosses his face, “Ok Derek, he’s all yours. There are some things you are going to need to consider first though.”

                Derek balks at the quick release of the tension coming from Scott, a moment of worry teases his mind at what Scott might be about to say. “Ok, what?”

                “Do you honestly know what goes into caring for an adolescent dog? He’s going to need supervision, they tend to overreact if left alone. You’re going to have to walk him so he doesn’t expend his extra energy tearing up things. I suspect this is probably more true in Stiles’ case since he was overly energetic on a good day as himself. You’re going to need to feed him, and I’m not talking about that steak I could smell when I walked in here. He will need nutrition specific for a dog his age to keep him healthy.” Stiles stills for a moment at the mention of having to eat dog food and Derek’s face takes an amused expression at having to feed it to him. “You’re going to need to clean up after him. That means picking up his shit when he’s on walks, and looking into getting him pads for when walks aren’t feasible. You can’t just let him out onto your balcony and expect his waste to not accumulate.” Stiles and Derek exchange expressions, now Derek is a little pale and Stiles is back to lolling his tongue at the thought of Derek cleaning up behind him.

                Derek releases a tiny sigh from his chest, “Anything else, _Dr._ _McCall_?”

After Scott has finished detailing all the work that Derek is going to have to put in to taking care of Stiles, he calls John to let him know that Stiles will be absent from home for a few days and tries to be as vague as possible in the reasons why. Every time Stiles can hear John’s voice come through the phone, he whimpers a little but continues to wag his tail. Scott knows that John doesn’t particularly buy it, and can mentally see him pinching the bridge of his nose as he huffs and just says, ‘ok.’ John has grown rather accustomed to the lack of details involved when something is up and has resigned himself to accept that whatever is going on, the pack can handle it.

Scott leaves shortly after to go open the clinic and Derek and Stiles are left alone in the loft.

 

                After Scott is gone and the situation sets in fully with the two unlikely co-habitants that they may be stuck with each other for a while, Derek scoops of Stiles and carries him out onto the balcony to have a conversation in the morning sun. Derek eases himself into the shift and once he is down on all fours, he beckons for Stiles to join him in the eastern corner where the sun is just beginning to peek over the buildings in the distance.

                “Ok, Mufasa. I know I can’t actually see it, but I can sense you conveying your pained thinking face. What’s up?”

                Derek turns and eyes Stiles before beginning, “So, Scott said a lot of stuff about taking care of you, and though we may be able to get around the food issue, I’m not really sure where to begin.”

                They both sit there, quiet for a moment, then Stiles whips his head up to meet Derek’s. “Lydia!”

                “What?”

                “Lydia! She has a dog! She can help!”

                “Stiles, just because Lydia has a dog doesn’t mean she is any better equipped at helping than Scott is.”

                “No, her little pipsqueak Pomeranian isn’t just a dog, she’s a show dog! And Lydia loves that thing! Tell her you’re dogsitting and don’t know what supplies to get. She’ll be naturally inclined to help!”

                “That’s…..that’s actually not a bad idea.”

                “Derek..”

                “Yeah?”

                “Please don’t tell her it’s me….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking it out this far.  
> In the next chapter, we will see how Stiles reacts around Lydia, and possibly a well needed bath.


	3. Supplies and Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia comes to visit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long. I hope you enjoy it!

                Three hours had passed since Derek had made the call to a rather confused and amused Lydia. She was hesitant to the request at first, but when Stiles started barking in the background, Derek could have sworn he heard hear heart audibly melting over the phone. She had asked him a lot of questions regarding the breed of the dog, the estimated age which Derek had guessed at being a little over a ‘human year,’ and if Derek knew of any existing health issues with the dog that she may need to be aware of. Derek pondered on the last part, wondering if dogs suffered from ADHD but resigned to just telling Lydia that the dog was a bit hyperactive.

                Derek was now in the kitchen, frying up some hamburgers for lunch when he heard Stiles start barking excitedly and run towards the door. ‘He heard her approaching before I did,’ Derek thought to himself, slightly impressed and embarrassed. Derek moved the burgers to the back of the stove and cut off the element. He walked to the door and nudged Stiles slightly out of the way so he could open the door for Lydia before she would have to wrestle with putting the bags down to open it herself.

                Derek barely got the door open before Stiles slid between his legs and began to run around Lydia’s feet. He barked and jumped up and down excitedly, brushing against her calves and Derek began to wonder if Stiles was pretending or if he had actually turned into a dog. Lydia quickly stepped over the pup while she smiled down at him, then raised her gaze back up to Derek before returning it to her normal demeanor, giving Derek a look that Stiles had often referred to as ‘resting-bitch-face.’

                “Hi, Derek.”

                “Hey, Lydia. Thank you again for doing this. Let me help you with those,” Derek stated politely as he began to unburden Lydia of the bags. He began to carry them to the coffee table and set them down, Lydia followed suit with the remainder as Stiles bounced after her.

                “Well he’s a little cutie, isn’t he?” Lydia cooed as she sat down on the sofa and Stiles jumped up into her lap. “What’s his name?”

                Derek froze, Stiles had asked him not to tell Lydia that he had been turned into a dog, but they hadn’t discussed an alternate name. A slight smirk teased at the corner of Derek’s mouth as the first thing he could think of slipped out, “Fluffy.”

                A choked grunt came from _Fluffy_ as he turned a less than pleased expression towards Derek. _Fluffy_ let out a low growl, barely audible to anyone except those with werewolf hearing, before returning his attention back to the girl whose lap he was in. His tail thumped contentedly as Lydia began to scratch behind his ears and lay kisses on top of his head.

                Derek began to rummage through the bags, pulling out items and laying them in piles to be sorted when his hand grasped onto a leash and collar. His normal broody façade slipped and he let out a chuckle, surprising _Fluffy_ and Lydia both. Lydia looked up at him with a questioning expression on her face. Derek just shook his head as he grabbed the collar and tossed it to her, a little tinkling sound chiming through the air as it crossed between them. “You will probably have better luck with that than I will,” Derek teased. Lydia removed it from its packaging and as the recognition of it hit _Fluffy_ , he bolted from her lap and across the room. “Maybe not,” Derek stated, bemused.

                “Nonsense, Derek. You just have to know how to handle the situation.” Lydia reached into one of the bags on the table and pulled out a bacon flavored treat. Lydia watched as both _Fluffy’s_ and Derek’s noses twitched at the smell, making a mental note to herself. “Come here, _Fluffy_. You want a treat? I’ve got some yummy bacon for you.” Lydia was practically glowing, emitting sunshine waves of comfort that had a rather calming effect on the willful pup. She got up and tucked the collar behind her back as she calmly paced over to where _Fluffy_ was crouched down on the opposite side of the room. As she got nearer, she slunk down, outstretching her hand with the palm up, presenting the treat. _Fluffy_ inched closer, taking a tentative sniff at the offer before licking Lydia’s hand and snatching the bacon. As he chewed, she began to stroke behind his left ear and along his neck, nudging him to roll over.

                Before Stiles knew what was happening, he was on his back, licking at Lydia’s wrist while she rubbed his tummy. Then Lydia’s other hand casually swung around as she slipped the loose collar over his head and began to tighten it around his neck. Stiles bolted upright with a huff at being tricked and began trying to pry the collar off with his paws, mentally cursing his lack of opposable thumbs. All he successfully managed to achieve was a lot of ringing in his ears as the little bell on the collar shook with each failed swipe.

                Derek could no longer contain his mirth and began to laugh openly at the scene. Lydia gave Derek a self satisfied smile as she scooped _Fluffy_ up and carried him back over to the sofa to sit down. “See, I told you, you just need to know how to handle the situation. My little Prada was the same way with her first collar, and just like her, _Fluffy_ looks super adorable with it on.”

                Derek smiled, “You know what? You’re right. It somehow suits him.” Derek pulled the remainder of the items from the bags; training pads, dog shampoo, a mid-sized pet bed, a few random toys, a dog brush, a lint roller that Derek was suddenly very grateful for, and several cans of dog food. As he looked at the food, he remembered his burgers chilling on the back of the stove and went to go fetch them. He hurriedly took a few bites from the largest patty, downing it in a blink before it got any cooler, then dropped the other on a plate and set it on the floor for _Fluffy_. The dog scented the food and jumped from Lydia’s lap and ran to the kitchen where he buried his nose in it and began to chow down.

                “Derek! You can’t feed him that! It’s bad for his digestion,” Lydia chided as she got up. She grabbed a can of food from the table and removed the plate with the burger from the floor. _Fluffy_ shot her a rather devastated look, barely containing the urge to snap at her hand. Lydia ignored the pup’s reaction and dropped the burger into the trash. She opened a can of the wet food she had brought, dumping it rather unceremoniously onto the plate and placing it back down on the floor.

                Stiles watched as Lydia crossed back over to the sofa. Derek stood in the kitchen, eyeballing Stiles and the mess of wet food he was sniffing at. Stiles managed to breathe a little too deeply and got some of the food up his nose. Stiles began to sneeze and hack as he turned from the plate and paced back over to the couch, sitting in front of the table as he tried to view the remainder of the items upon it. He was not happy with Lydia ruining his lunch and decided that he would take the opportunity to have a little fun. He began to lick at Lydia’s ankles, eliciting a pleased squeal from the girl. Pushing it a little further, Stiles jumped up, wrapping his front paws around Lydia’s leg, and began to hump.

                “Down Fluffy,” Lydia fussed.

                A look of horror crossed Derek’s face as he realized what Stiles was doing and he admonished the dog without realizing what he was saying, “Stiles, get down! Bad dog!”

                Lydia froze, a look of bewilderment crossing her face. She looked from the pup to Derek, locking eyes with his as the realization of what he had accidentally called the dog sunk in. She huffed and reached for the diet soda she had brought in with her. She opened the cap and poured the bottle’s contents on Stiles, soaking him and the floor. She grabbed her purse and stormed towards the door. “I don’t even want to know what’s going on here. Have fun cleaning that up and bathing that animal! I’ll send you the bill for the supplies.” She slammed the door behind her as she left, leaving Derek and Stiles alone once again in the loft.

                Stiles begins to whimper as he tries to lick the sticky mess from his fur, and Derek glares down at him. “Was it worth it?” Stiles stops licking long enough to return Derek’s gaze, and though Derek can’t understand him, he is sure Stiles is smiling.

                Derek grabs a towel from the kitchen, grunting at yet another absurd situation that Stiles has put him in. He drops the towel on the floor over the spilled soda, and picks Stiles up. He carries the squirming dog towards the bathroom and places him down in the tub. Stiles barks angrily as he tries unsuccessfully to scale the tub walls, and Derek is fully appreciative for the first time that he had splurged the extra money and bought the deeper model to suit his long body.

                Content that Stiles can’t escape, Derek returns to the den to retrieve the shampoo that Lydia had purchased. He re-enters the bathroom and begins to run water, temping it so as not to burn Stiles. Once Derek is satisfied with the level of water, he reaches for the frantic Stiles. Stiles darts out of the way and splashes water on Derek, soaking his shirt. Derek growls at the wet dog, who stops just long enough to loll his tongue in taunt at Derek. “Fine,” Derek says, “if that’s how you wanna play it, I’ll just corner you and hold you still till you’re all cleaned up.”

                Stiles rooos at Derek, slapping his tail into the water in an attempt to call Derek’s bluff. With a resigned sigh, Derek stands and removes his clothing. As he climbs into the tub with Stiles, he grabs for the shampoo. Stiles is distracted by the sight of Derek, and the audacity that he would actually follow through with his threat. He stills which gives Derek the moment he needs to reach over and pull the pup towards him.

                Stiles tries one last attempt at squirming free before he resolves himself to his fate. He simply let’s Derek have his way as the man’s hands began to work a lather of shampoo into his fur. At first, Stiles is freaked out at the sensation of having a grown man wash him, but as Derek’s nimble fingers begin to massage the sticky tangles out of Stile’s fur, he begins to relax. Minutes pass by, but they don’t register with Stiles. Before he knows it, Derek is draining the water from the tub and climbing out.

                Stiles barks up at him, and Derek smiles down. “That wasn’t so bad was it?” As Derek begins to towel himself off, Stiles continues to bark. If Derek were listening, he would have heard Stiles asking him to climb back in and do it again, never stopping.


	4. Park Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has too much spare energy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took so long. I was having internet issues.  
> I received a message right after posting the last chapter that said, "These fuckers need to go to the park."  
> So...this chapter happened.

                An agitated Derek paces across the room to answer his ringing phone. He lets out a sigh of relief as he picks it up and hears Scott’s voice on the other end.

                “Hey, you messaged me and said there was an emergency? Is Stiles alright? Did something happen?” Scott’s voice sounds panicked.

                Derek grumbles in response as something shoots by his legs, nearly tripping him. “You’re friend is acting like a lunatic!”

                “What do you mean? Is he like snarling, snapping, foaming at the mouth?”

                “No. He keeps barreling through the loft, knocking stuff over, and literally trying to climb the walls. Is this a thing? Do dogs do that?” Derek lets a little worry seep into his normally stoic voice.

                Scott ponders for a moment, “Have you tried asking him about it?”

                “Yes, but all I could get from him was, ‘run run run, jump, chase, then run some more.’ Scott….” Derek’s voice quiets to a whisper in the phone, “I think he might be chasing something only he can see…”

                Scott’s voice goes quiet on the other end of the phone and Derek gets a feeling of unease creeping up his spine. A few tense seconds tick by before Derek hears a muffled noise on the other end of the line. For a moment he thinks Scott might be choking, but suddenly the sound of laughter erupts from Scott as he loses his ability to contain his mirth.

                “This isn’t funny, Scott,” Derek growls.

                “Dude, chill. You have a normally energetic, ADHD teenager, trapped in the body of a young dog. He just needs to expend his built up energy.” Scott is still trying not to chuckle at the noises he hears coming from the background at Derek’s.

                “Well, what should I do? He can’t keep tearing up my stuff!”

                “When did you get ‘ _stuff_?’ Your apartment is sparse on a good day.”

                “Scott, not the point! I will drop your friend off at the pound!” Derek turns his head at the bark coming from behind him. He smirks at Stiles who he’s sure was making some snide remark at his last comment.

                “Relax, Derek. It’s a nice day out. Take him to the park or something. You’re the one that insisted he stay with you, so, now you got him. Take care of him!”

                “Fine!” Derek huffs for a moment, “but the park though? There’s so many weird smells there.”

                “Exactly! Stiles will love testing out that new nose of his. Just give it a try. I’ll come by when I get off and check up on you guys, but since this isn’t an actual emergency, I’m gonna get back to work. Tell Stiles to be careful. Bye”

                Derek is staring down at his phone, wondering if Scott had really just cut him off and hung up on him like he thinks. He turns around, eyes still locked on to the ‘call ended’ message when he feels a hard thump on his chest, knocking him over. He looks down ay the dog now sitting on his chest and the reason he has been splayed out onto the floor. He rolls his eyes at the grinning pup, “I suppose you heard that and want to go to the park now?”

                The answering yip confirms his question and though Derek won’t show it, he is trying to hold his own grin back, just below the surface.

 *******

                The ride to the park was mostly uneventful. Derek took a few corners too fast and watched as Stiles flopped around in his seat, growling uneasily each time he toppled to the floor. Derek’s amusement ceased however when Stiles finally got him to ease up after Stiles began to blow chunks onto Derek’s leather seats. Derek parked the car and shot a glare at the pup as if to mentally yell at him, but Stiles just aimed a similar look back at the wolf, as if to say, ‘don’t fuck with me.’ Derek cleaned up the mess and the rest of the ride to the park was smooth.

                Once they arrived, Derek grabbed a small bag out of the back seat and climbed out. He opened the passenger door for Stiles but stopped the pup just before he hopped out. “I don’t mean to insult you, but I think we should go over some things first.” Stiles just looked at him, perplexed, but waited for Derek to continue to his point. “This is a big place, there are going to be a lot of things going on out there. I don’t mean to belittle your intelligence by telling you this, but try not to wander off. As a dog, you’re going to smell a lot of things that will get your curiosity, be wary but feel free to explore. You’re also going to be seeing a lot of other dogs out there, they know how to be dogs, you don’t. So don’t freak out if they approach you, sniffing around your….” Derek gestured vaguely at Stiles’ back half and Stiles was grateful that Derek couldn’t see him blushing through his fur. “Lastly and most importantly, if another person comes up to you, don’t take any treats offered. It sounds ridiculous, because 9 out of 10 people in this park are genuine dog lovers, but that doesn’t mean bad things don’t still happen. So be careful!”

                Derek backs up and Stiles hops out of the car, taking a few tentative steps towards the grass. He looks back towards Derek who smiles down at him. “Go ahead, Stiles. I’m headed over there to sit in the shade.” Stiles looked at Derek for a few seconds more before turning away and bounding off.

Stiles reveled at the feeling of an all out run. He had ran before, but not like this. The feeling of his feet as the gripped the earth and pushed off again, the wind whipping through his fur and cooling his skin beneath, the sweet smells of wildflowers and freshly cut grass wafting through his nose…. Stiles was imprisoned in a K9 cage, and yet he had never felt so free. He felt the built up tension easing from his muscles, his bottled up energy being put to use, he opened his jaw and let out a gleeful bark as he slows to a stop.

                He turns and looks across the park at where he came from, noting the distance and wondering if his human legs would ever be able to cover that much ground in such a short time. Even with all his normal running, which between lacrosse and the werewolf/supernatural danger antics he tends to find his way constantly fleeing from, he doubts that he would be capable of that. Briefly, Stiles lets himself appreciate his recent turn of events. Then he catches sight of Derek, sitting with his back against a tree. Stiles just looks at him for a moment, then he’s racing his way back across towards the man who is waving him over.

Derek watches Stiles approach at a relaxed canter, no longer feeling the need to push himself as hard. As the pup nears, Derek reaches into his bag and pulls out a small bowl and a water bottle. He fills the bowl as Stiles arrives, tongue hanging from the side of his mouth. Derek continues to watch quietly as Stiles begins to drink greedily, then plops down in the shade by Derek’s legs. Derek stretches his hand out above Stiles, pausing just above him as if to ask permission before continuing, and when there is no noise of refusal, he begins to stroke down the body of the dog. Stiles wags his tail appreciatively as Derek begins to massage his muscles so they don’t cramp up from the immediate exertion of them.

Stiles, now hydrated and feeling less cagey, crawls over and snuggles up to Derek’s leg to relax for a few minutes before adventuring back out to start exploring. Derek rests his hand across Stiles’ back and leans into the tree he is sitting under. They are both peacefully relaxing when Derek feels Stiles twitch alert beneath his palm. Derek peers down at Stiles as the pup’s nose starts sniffing the air, tracking something that Derek thinks Stiles must recognize. Derek flairs his nostrils, trying to pick up whatever Stiles is tracking, but all he can smell is the scent of the grass, leaves, animals in the area, and the vague scent of Armani.

Stiles lets a small whimper escape before sitting up and barking at something behind Derek. Derek turns to glimpse what Stiles is tracking just as a young, clean shaven, athletic man approaches. Derek gets the scent of Armani a lot closer now as the young man clears his throat and greets Derek.

                “Hi. It’s Miguel, right?”

                Derek has a moment of confoundedness before a twitch pulls at the corner of his mouth. “It’s Derek, actually. Stiles just has a weird sense of humor. You’re Danny, right?” Stiles lets out a growl as Derek outstretches his hand to take Danny’s in a friendly hello.

                “Ohh! And who is this little guy?” Danny reaches down to pet Stiles and Stiles snaps at his fingers in what he hopes is a semi-threatening way. “Ok, maybe not then…” Danny muses as he pulls back his hand.

                “Sorry about him,” Derek apologizes. “That’s Nixon.”

                Danny just blankly stares at Derek and then down at the dog. “What kind of name is Nixon for a dog?”

                Derek smirks, it’s almost menacing the way the joy creeps to his eyes. “Nix is the perfect name for a dog that acts like a dick!” Stiles begins to bark at Derek, but Derek is too caught up in Danny’s laughter to care if Stiles didn’t appreciate his joke, afterall, Stiles kind of deserved it for the whole Miguel fiasco.

               “Well, he’s a cute little guy, even if he isn’t very friendly,” Danny replies as he returns Derek’s smile. “My dog, Bo is around here somewhere. Probably chasing down a squirrel.” As if on cue, a chocolate dane runs up to Danny, wagging its tail excitedly. It brushes it’s body against Danny, before timidly looking at Derek. Derek slowly reaches out his hand towards Bo, trying his best not to scare it with his alpha scent. The dog sniffs the hand cautiously before walking underneath it to let Derek pet him. After a brief moment of contact, the dog is running around Derek and nosing at Stiles.

                Stiles lets out a startled yelp as the dane lifts his backend with his nose. Derek will muse later at the movement Stiles makes as he rushes over to the far side of Derek and away from the overly intrusive dane. The only word he’ll be able to call the awkward, clumsy run, is ‘skitter.’

                Danny and Derek both laugh at the site of it, then Danny politely asks if he can join them for a few. Derek consents and Danny moves to sit down beside him. Stiles, unhappy about the situation, begins to bark again, but expecting this, Derek reaches into his bag and pulls out a yellow tennis ball. He shows it to Stiles, who shuts up and gives Derek this look of, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’

               With a quick flick of his wrist, Derek is launching the ball across the field. Stiles cannot explain his next impulse, and as much as he will deny it, he shoots off after it, unable to control his desire to retrieve the orb and bring it back.

               Once Stiles has caught the ball and returns to where Derek and Danny are sitting with Bo stretched out awkwardly across Danny’s lap, Stiles finds the two men lost in conversation. Derek absentmindedly lays his hand out for Stiles to deposit the ball into it, but drops it once it makes contact with his palm. He makes this face at Stiles, breaking his eye contact with Danny as his eyes dart irritatedly from the pup to his now soaking wet palm. Stiles, in all his brilliance, decided that covering the ball with slobber would be a good way to return Derek’s attention back to him.

               “You’re kind of gross, you know that?” Derek begins to search around for something to wipe his hand on. Danny, amused by the situation and the way Derek talks to his pup like the dog is a long time friend, offers Derek his work-out towel to clean his palm with, smiling at Derek as he does so.

              “You know, for someone with a dog that’s still so young, you talk to him and he responds to you as if you’ve been friends for a while.” Derek just offers Danny a slightly bashful smirk at the comment before returning the towel. “I’m sure there’s a story there,” Danny continues. “I’d love to hear it sometime. Maybe, over dinner?”

               Derek freezes. He doesn’t really know Danny, just knows him as one of Stiles’ friends, and the invitation for a date catches him off guard. Derek, wanting to say yes, looks over at Stiles, who has this defeated, detached look on his face. The pup has turns his back to Derek and walks a few paces away to sit, his tail laying flat against the ground and his shoulders are slumped forward.

               Derek looks back over to the waiting Danny, “You know, I honestly do appreciate the invitation, but I’m kind of invested in something right now, and I kind of want to focus my attention on it to see how it turns out.” Danny frowns, but Derek can sense his understanding at what he’s actually implying. “Under different circumstances, I might have said yes, but right now my plate is kind of full. It was nice to meet you though, and I hope to see you around more often.”

               Danny takes that as his cue and gets up to leave, taking Bo with him as he gets back on the running path that circles the park. He rushes back over to give Derek his number, just in case, and then he and Bo are off.

               Derek gets up as well and calls to the pensive Stiles. They climb back in his car and head back to the loft.

               Once back home, Derek shifts back into his wolf form to have a conversation with Stiles. “What was that all about? We were having a good day, and then you start acting all weird when your friend shows up.”

               Stiles puts on his best passive face, “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

               “Yes you do! Was this because your friend was flirting with me?”

               “No!”

               “Stiles!”

               “No!”

               “Alright, fine then. I guess you want have a problem if I call him then?” Derek quirks a furried wolf eyebrow in frustration as he shifts back and goes for his phone.

                Stiles growls at him as he hears the numbers being tapped in. “He probably isn’t even that into you!”

               “Oh really?” Derek quips. “I could smell his arousal coming off of him in waves.”

               “He probably just thought that sour look on your face would give you extra suction for a blowjob!”

               Derek lets loose a growl at the insult but stops midway as his eyebrows rise to meet his hairline. He looks down at the still angry Stiles as the look on the pup’s face goes from angry to confused. “When did that start happening?”

              “What?” Stiles remarks, still a bit peeved.

              “You, talking to me, and me understanding it.

              “Since the first time you went wolf and realized you could do it.” Stiles rolls his eyes like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

              “No,” Derek says, “I mean right now. We’re still talking, but I’m not in wolf form, not even in beta mode.” Stiles stops making his angry-confused face, which Derek is grateful for because it kind of makes the pup look constipated. “I’m glad Deaton will be back tomorrow so we can go find out what’s going on, cause this,” Derek points between himself and Stiles, “this is getting a bit out of hand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is underway and will be posted soon. Deaton is finally going to be back in town and hopefully we'll start to get some answers.  
> Thank you for reading this far and I hope y'all continue to enjoy this story.


	5. That awkward moment when your friend is now a dog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so terribly sorry that this took me so long to post. Please forgive me. I'll try to get back on to my regular-ish update schedule.

                Derek and Stiles are in the midst of an awkward stare-down when they are both startled by the knocking on the door. They both let out a huff and turn towards the distraction before scenting the air. Derek’s shoulders tense as he approaches the hulking piece of metal, he recognizes Scott’s scent as it begins to creep into his apartment, but there is another heartbeat in the hallway. A familiar, but forgotten scent is being masked by Scott’s. Derek turns to look back at Stiles, noticing that the pup has caught on to the same thing.

                “Don’t look at me, dude. I’m still new to this whole ‘people have smells thing.’” Stiles shrugs the best he can as Derek pulls the door open to let Scott enter. Stiles’ tail begins to twitch excitedly as his friend walks in, brushing past Derek to immediately check-up on him.

                “Hey buddy!” Scott exclaims as he begins to lace his fingers through Stiles’ fur. I got a surprise visit today from someone we haven’t seen in a while, so I thought I’d bring him by so he could say hello. Stiles tilts his head to the side questioningly as his gaze goes from Scott back to the open door. He catches a brief glimpse of blond curls before Isaac rounds the entry into the loft.

                Isaac stands awkwardly just inside the threshold, eyeing Derek nervously as the broody man glares at him. Everyone is silent as the tension increases. Stiles mouths a few short barks and Derek begins to chuckle, ushering Isaac inside.

                “What was that about?” Isaac asks nervously.

                Derek tries to hide the smirk on his face as he responds, “Stiles was just noting that its 85 degrees outside and you’re still wearing that damn scarf.”

                Isaac looks past Derek and down to the dog on the floor by Scott. “Atleast I’m not sporting a full fur coat.”

                Stiles’ mouth drops open and his tongue lolls out. “It’s good to see that nothing’s changed between you two,” Scott notes. Isaac grins sheepishly as the atmosphere starts to relax.

                Having checked out Stiles, Scott ushers Derek towards the balcony. “We’re gonna go outside for a few minutes so I can go over some things with Derek,” Scott says to Isaac and Stiles. “Are you two going to be ok in here?”

                Isaac laughs it off, “We’ll be fine. I could handle him before, something tells me he’ll be no problem now. I do wonder though…”

                “Yeah, what’s that?” Scott replies.

                “Well, Derek always did have a problem living with other people. Something tells me that keeping one around now as a house pet, might be a step in the right direction.”

                Derek’s eyes burn a bright read at the jab, “Don’t make me throw you out a second time.”

                Isaac wavers under the sway of his former alpha, confidence fading, but Stiles turns from where he is reacquainting himself with Isaac to growl at Derek.

                Derek’s eyes shift back to their normal color as he hears Stiles’ voice in his head, “Be nice! You may have pushed him away, but Isaac is still pack!” Derek balks for a moment before slowly turning to go out to the balcony.

                Once Derek and Scott are outside, Stiles turns his attention back to Issac, nudging him with a snout to the back of the knee. Isaac looks away from Derek’s back through the window, peering down at the dog anxiously waiting by his side. He squats down and then stretches his legs out before him, carting his hands through Stiles’ fur as the pup moves to sit between Issac’s legs. Neither of them say anything to one another for a moment, just trying to reacquaint themselves with one another’s presence.

                Stiles is caught by surprise when he feels Isaac’s other hand come out and brace itself on his back. He is pulled into a tentative hug, warm and accepting. Stiles can feel Isaac trembling just below the surface of his skin, a soft sigh caught in the youth’s throat as a tear falls from his face and lands on Stiles’ snout. Stiles looks up from where he is pressed against Isaac’s body and gently licks the side of his face, following the trail of the tear that fell. Isaac relaxes and lets out a quiet laugh.

                “That tickles!” Isaac looks down at Stiles, actually seeing him as the pup huffs through his nose. Issac can almost see the snarky look on the once human face. “I’ve really missed you guys.”

                Stiles yips back up at Isaac as a grin spreads across the boy’s face. Feeling bold and more than a bit playful, Stiles bites onto one of the loose ends of the dangling scarf.

                “Don’t do it, Stiles,” Isaac chides.

                Stiles releases a playful growl as he yanks the scarf free of Isaac’s neck and darts to the other end of the room with it. He lays it on the ground as Isaac finds his feet, eyes never leaving the youth as he takes a few steps in Stiles’ direction. He lowers his front shoulders and hovers just above the strip of fabric, tail wagging in taunt for Issac to come and take it back. Just as Isaac leans down to swipe it, Stiles barks and bolts to the opposite end of the room with the scarf back in his mouth.

                “Ohh, is that how it’s going to be? You may be faster than Isaac the human, but are you faster than a wolf?” Issac’s eyes glow bright gold and he in turn lets out a playful growl. He lunges across the room towards the awaiting pup holding his prize. Just as Issac thinks he is about to win, he feels the edges of the soft fabric ghosting through his fingers when Stiles jumps out off to the side at the last moment.

                Righting himself quickly, Isaac bounds in the direction Stiles took off in, not giving the pup a moment stop and taunt him again.

                Feeling himself being chased and slowly losing his lead, Stiles makes a b-line for the spiral staircase hoping to slow the two-legged wolf in the tight space. What Stiles doesn’t account for, is Isaac jumping to land on the stairs above him.

                “I gotcha now,” Issac growls as he snatches the free end of his scarf back. Not wanting to back down, Stiles tugs on his end.

                They make their way back down the stairs, both refusing to give and accept defeat as their game of keep away becomes a battle of tug-of-war. Stiles thrashes his head back and forth, trying to free the other end from Isaac’s grasp as he pulls. Small growls escaping his chest randomly. Isaac starts to laugh at the site before him as an awkward cough comes from over by the window. Both stop what they are doing to glare at the offending noise that interrupted their game.

                Derek and Scott are both staring openly towards the two at play. Isaac grins at Scott, who he can tell is amused and trying to hide a smirk of his own. “I think our game is over now that the grown-ups are back,” Isaac says to Stiles. “You win this one.” Isaac takes his end of the scarf and begins to drape it around Stiles. “It’s covered in slobber now anyway, and being around enough wolves tells me that there is no amount of dry cleaning that’s going to get the scent of dog breath out of this.”

                Stiles thumps is tail contentedly at his prize and nuzzles Isaac for a thank you before they both return their attention to the awaiting alphas.

                “If you guys are done playing,” Derek starts, “then we need to go over some things before we head to see Deaton in the morning.”

                “Ok, then I reckon I’ll head out and go get settled at Scott’s before it gets too late,” Isaac responds.

                Stiles whimpers at the notion of Isaac leaving so soon and he brings his eyes up to meet Derek’s. Derek looks from Stiles to Isaac before resolving himself to his own defeat. “Actually, I was about to order some dinner if you and Scott would like to stick around.”

                Isaac is quiet for a moment as he considers the invitation and looks to Scott for approval. Scott, being the stoic one for once, gives no indication as to what he thinks Isaac should do. After an short pause, Isaac finally answers, “Yeah, actually I’d like that. It’s nice being around the pack again.”

                And with that, they all start to gravitate towards the sofa as Derek goes upstairs to retrieve his phone and place a dinner order.

                As Derek descends the stairs, he looks over at the sofa and his pack-mates. Scott and Isaac sitting side by side with Stiles stretched out across both their laps. Though he won’t admit it outloud, he feels relief wash over him as the notion of pack, once again starts to feel like family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't a very long chapter, but that's probably for the best. I was originally going to write through the Deaton visit as well on here, but the more I think about the content of that chapter, the more I realize how long it will inevitably be in order to convey where this story is going to need to go. But on the plus side, YAY! Isaac is here. I was definitely not planning that when i laid this chapter out in my head, but i thought that if we followed the conversation going on outside, it would no be as entertaining. We'll get that information as it is laid out in the next chapter anyways.  
> Again, I am really sorry that it took me so long to get back around to this. Hope you all stick around for the next chapter to come. Should hopefully be done in a few days.


	6. The Dog and the Doc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deaton is finally back in town! Will we finally get some answers to what's going on?
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> ....probably not. lol  
> I'm remarkably not sorry about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a Scisaac moment on a whim. Not sure if i want to develop anything from it or just leave it be.

                Derek awoke to the sound of an awkward cough coming from his door. Not ready to face the day, he sighed and hugged his pillow a little tighter, hoping the offending noise would resolve itself and go away.

                It didn’t. Another, more prominent cough came forcing its way through the air, followed by a quiet laugh. Two things occurred to Derek at this moment. One, Scott was trying to unobtrusively stand in his bedroom door and wake him, and two, his pillow was furry… and moving. Derek opened his eyes to find Stiles snuggled up against him, sleeping soundly.

                “Well this is awkward,” Scott commented. “The clinic opens in a little bit if you wanted to take Stiles to see Deaton, or, I could just leave and pretend like I didn’t see anything.” Scott snickered as Derek hurled an actual pillow at his face. Scott’s amusement increased as he heard a needy whimper come from Stiles as Derek unlatched himself from the pup and began to rise from the bed.

                Derek’s only thought at the sound was, ‘thank god for heavy curtains,’ because the blush creeping up his cheeks might mar his persona of collected broodishness. He couldn’t remember Stiles climbing into his bed at any point in the night, and though he silently welcomed the company, it unnerved him to think that someone could approach him and he be unaware of it. He never let his guard down, even when he slept.

                Stiles raised his head to peer at Scott who shot him a questioning smile and raised eyebrow. A look of “I can definitely see you pretending not to be there” plastered across Scott’s face. Stiles responded to his friend with a few short barks and thumped his tail across the mattress. Derek froze and peered at Scott as the young man turned his look towards him. “What was that?” Scott asked.

                “He said you should leave this situation alone because he definitely came up from downstairs after he woke from his bed to hear you and Isaac necking on the sofa.”

                Scott was not as apt at hiding his blush as Derek, and quickly turned tail to run back downstairs. “I’ll see ya’ll at the clinic later, bye,” was the only thing Scott said as he bolted out the door.

“I didn’t really want to know about that,” Derek mumbled as he put on his shoes.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t really want to see it.”

 ******

                Derek pushed the clinic door inward and allowed Stiles room to enter in front of him, the bell above it tinkling happily to announce their arrival. Stiles eyed the waiting room nervously but relaxed once he saw that there was no one else present. Deaton walked from around the back to greet them, “Hi Derek! I see you have a new friend!” Deaton smiled warmly at Stiles before turning his gaze back to Derek. “Scott told me you got a dog, and I can’t say that I’m surprised that he has a little wolf in him. You two make a cute pair.”

                “Deaton,” Derek eyes the man in all seriousness.

                “Sorry, right, down to business. Did you want just a regular check up, or would you like me to go ahead and neuter him?”

                Derek nearly trips as Stiles runs into him, then headfirst into the door. The laughter that comes from the back room makes Stiles emit a growl and the familiar sound of his supposed best friend. “That was awesome!” Scott yells as he enters the room, unable to control his glee.

                “Sorry, Stiles,” Deaton adds. “Scott put me up to it.” The vet ushers Derek and Stiles towards the back, Scott following last as Stiles continues to growl at him as they walk by. Once they enter the examination room, Deaton turns to Derek, “Would you mind putting him up on the table for me please? I’d normally do it myself but I have a feeling that after our little joke, Stiles won’t be as receptive to my picking him up.”

                The only actual warning Stiles got was a sigh before his feet left the floor and he had a brief freak-out, trashing in Derek’s arms until he was placed on the table. Turns out, Stiles learned that as a dog, he didn’t really care for being carried. Once put upon his pedestal for all the world to see, Derek, Scott, and Deaton who were the only people that mattered at the moment, Stiles settled as all eyes become focused on him. Deaton began to circle him, rubbing his chin in contemplation as he thought. The room was silent until the doc spoke.

                “So, who wants to tell me the events leading up to this?”

                Derek and Stiles both directed their pointed stares at Scott, who hung his head in defeat. “I think I bit him.”

                “Excuse me, you what?” Deaton stammered. “You told me he turned into a dog, but you didn’t tell me you think you caused it when I spoke to you this morning.”

                “Sorry boss, I was hoping it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t even have my fangs out.” Scott’s head lowered back to his chest where a soft whimper escaped.

                “Well this is something I have never seen before.” Deaton actually looked surprised, which unnerved Stiles. He’d never known Deaton to be surprised about anything.

                “Does that mean you don’t know how to fix him,” Derek asked.

                “I might have a theory, actually, but this is something I’ve only heard about in folklore.”

                “Well that’s a start at least!” Scott exclaimed. “Normally Stiles is the one that does all the research into this kind of stuff, or the Argents when we are tapped out, but I can look into it if you can point me in the right direction. Who’s folklore is it?”

                Deaton pauses for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts, “Mine.”

                “What?” Derek and Scott ask in unison.

                “It was told to me as a kid by my elders. This,” Deaton gestures towards Stiles, “comes from Druid mythology.”

                “So are you saying you _do_ know how to fix him?” Scott is almost pleading for hope as his eyes go wide with the question.

                “Yes, I think I could _probably_ fix him, but I’m not entirely sure that is the right course of action.” Deaton looks at Derek and Scott consideringly, then he looks at Stiles, locking eyes with the youthful man inside the furry body.

                Something inside Stiles shudders, but he doesn’t turn from Deaton’s hard gaze.

                “Can you give us a few moments, alone?” Derek and Scott look to each other, then to Stiles before acknowledging Deaton’s question.

                It’s Derek who speaks first. “If you are looking to have a conversation with him, I can help you communicate.”

                Deaton turns from where his eyes are still on Stiles’ to consider Derek. “Well that’s new.” Deaton chuckles. “But it honestly doesn’t surprise me, you being more wolf than human some days.”

                “Seriously!” Stiles chimes in as his mouth gapes open with amusement. Derek snarls at Stiles and Deaton chuckles again.

                “I think we’ll be just fine in here, thank you.” Derek and Scott start making their way through the door when Deaton asks Scott to close it behind him on his way out. Scott narrows his eyes, knowing there are wards in place to keep prying eyes, and ears for that matter, out of this room when unwanted. Scott trusts Deaton though, so he begrudgingly complies.

                Once they are alone in the room, Deaton pulls up a chair to the examination table where Stiles is currently laying. “So,” he says, “I see you find yourself in a bit of a pickle.”

               “No shit, Sherlock,” Stiles replies.

               “Watch your language, young man. I will not be disrespected if we are to continue from this point on.”

                Stiles’ jaw snaps shut as he mulls over what just happened. “You can understand me?”

               “Of course I can. It’s a little less difficult then trying to speak with an actual wolf, but the mannerisms are quite similar. Maybe one day I’ll tell you about it. Not all of us can just stumble into such as yourself.”

               “So, the big question then,” Stiles pauses hoping that he won’t hear one of Deaton’s questionably ambiguous answers. “Can you change me back?”

               “Yes, given enough time to sort it all out, I could reverse what’s happening to you, but it may not be the right choice.”

               “Oh my god! That would be amazing!.... ohh wait. You said ‘happening,’ as in still going on, didn’t you? And what do you mean by, ‘not my best choice?’”

               “Very astute, Stiles, yes. I did say something was still happening, but whether or not it’s the right choice is up to you. Want me to elaborate, or are you afraid to go deeper down the metaphorical rabbit hole?”

                Stiles has a conflict of curiosity and fear, knowing what will win out if he thinks about it too long, he resolves himself for the long haul. “Ok, Deaton, let’s hear it.”

               “Excellent! This is exciting for me. I’ve seen a lot of supernatural things up close, but this is one of the first ones that I thought of only as a fairy-tale.” Deaton suddenly becomes animated as he talks and the longer Stiles listens, the more eager he becomes to get himself out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do y'all think so far? Any theories floating amongst the readers?  
> Your comments and questions are always welcomed!


	7. Running with Wolves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles becomes aware of what's going on but isn't quite ready for anyone else to know.   
> Scott decides a pack night might be a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so incredibly long to update. I promise not to go two months between this chapter and the next. This chapter is a rough version of what was in my head and may come across as a bit of a mess, but hopefully its cohesive enough to be read.

                The door to Deaton’s office opens up and Stiles traipses out with his ears and tail hanging low. “What happened to you in there,” Derek asks before shooting an accusing look at Deaton.

                Stiles whimpers for a moment before raising wet eyes towards Derek, “He said he wanted to do a check-up to make sure my vitals were fine, but when he went to take my temperature….. Derek, he didn’t take it from my mouth…”

                Derek coughs before his glare turns hard on Deaton. “Deaton?”

                “Just kidding Derek, chill. I’m fine.” Stiles wags his tail before going to sit by Scott’s feet.

                “What did y’all discuss in there,” Scott asks of Deaton.

                “That’s not really for me to talk with you about at this moment. Stiles is aware of the situation, and what lies ahead is up to him. I can tell you that by all accounts, Stiles is perfectly healthy. Happy though, well that’s entirely left to him.”

                “So what should we be doing?” Scott reaches down and rubs a lazy hand across Stilles’ head.

                “What you are already doing. Take care of him.”

                Deaton pointedly looks at Scott as he says those words and the weight of them is almost tangible with the way Scott’s shoulders fall. “I will, Doc. Whatever it takes, I’ll make this right. Is there anything we can do to help Stiles towards getting back to himself?”

                “Yes actually. Treat him like he is himself.” Deaton turns his gaze from Scott to Derek, then down to Stiles who nods his head. “If you treat him as your pet, then that’s all he’ll be. If you treat him like Stiles, well, I’m sure he’ll find his way through this.”

                “I hate your cryptic answers,” Derek states flatly. “Have we not been treating Stiles like Stiles?”

                “Mostly. You talk to him like Stiles, and he continues to act like Stiles, much to my own dismay, but you also treat him as less than he actually is. He continues to bond and solidify your pack, even traversing the need for speech to make Isaac feel welcomed again, but you are not seeing him at his true value. Case in point,” Deaton approaches Stiles, leans down and unhooks his collar, looking very peculiarly at Derek before handing it to him. “Would you wear one of these as a wolf?”

                “Deaton one, Derek zero.” Stiles shakes his head and neck, relishing in the lack of the collar.

                “Sorry, Stiles. We’ll do better by you, Scott apologizes. “Thank you Deaton, is there anything else?”

                “Not for this particular situation, but with the right amount of support and acceptance, he should eventually change back. When he does, and you get human Stiles back, don’t underestimate him. He is more capable than you realize. I know that you value him as your friend, and you’ve come to rely on his known skills, but simply seeing him as your friend isn’t going to be enough. You call him pack, and by biting him, you have made a claim on him, whether intentional or not, but you are going to have to fully respect and treat him as such.”

                “Ok, where should we start?” Scott crouches down and hugs Stiles, his best friend, burying his face in the soft fur of Stiles’ neck.

                Deaton looks Scott dead in the eyes once he stretches back up to his feet, “You’re the alpha, how you proceed is up to you. I can’t give you the answers here.”

                “Ok.” Scott looks to Derek, “will you call the pack? We need to have a meeting. If treating Stiles like himself is what he needs, we can start there.”

************** 

                Liam is the last to arrive at the loft. He walks in tentatively, knowing the response he will get when he enters with arms full of food. He doesn’t make it three feet before Scott is in front of him with a hungry grin.

                “Thanks, Liam. Go take a seat and I’ll start handing this stuff out.” Scott has a burger in his mouth before he fully unloads the bags from his beta.

                “Who’s the new guy,” Isaac asks from where he is nestled into the sofa, Stiles perched on the floor by his feet.

                “Ohh, right! Isaac, this is Liam. My…. beta.” Isaac actually manages to look stunned at the thought of Scott turning someone. “Liam, that’s my friend, Isaac. He was, or is, I’m not really sure, Derek’s beta.” Isaac and Liam offer each other awkwardly shy waves before they are distracted by the huffing noise coming from Stiles. “Don’t worry Stiles, we’ve got you covered.” Scott removes a tray of curly fries from one of the bags and slides it across the floor.

                “Umm, Scott? Care to explain that?” Liam looks perplexed as he considers the dog.

                “It’s a bit of a long story, but we’re working it out. For now, just know that it’s Stiles and we’re working on it.” Scott begins throwing food to Isaac and Derek who are patiently waiting on opposite ends of the sofa.

                Liam actually blanches a little as he watches Stiles make a mess of the tray of fries. “And I thought he ate like an animal when he was still human. That however is a bit unnerving.” The responding growl that comes from behind a muzzle full of curly fries falls a bit ineffectually. “Yeah, ok. I can see the resemblance now.” “Is this everybody? Aren’t Lydia and Parrish supposed to be coming to these things?”

                “This is everyone for the purpose of tonight,” Derek chimes in.

                “Since there isn’t really a whole lot going on in Beacon Hills for a change,” Scott starts, “I thought just having the wolves over might be a nice change. I kind of have an idea for something that Stiles hasn’t been privy to before. Thought we might, ya know, go for a run.”

                “Yes! I haven’t stretched my legs without being chased in a while. I think I might enjoy this! Besides, running with pack is supposed to be good for bonding.” Derek actually manages to look mildly enthused. “What do you think, Stiles? Are you up for it?”

                Stiles looks from the pack of wolves to his own short legs, considering what running with them might actually be like and how slow he would be in comparison. But as he remembers the feeling of almost euphoria he got while he ran in the park, he quickly dismisses any doubts he might have had. “Sure, why the hell not?”

                Derek looks from Stiles back towards the rest of the pack, “That’s a yes. Everyone eat so you’ll have the extra energy to burn off, then we’ll head out to the preserve.”

*************

                As the wolves gather about the property of the former Hale house, Derek takes a moment to consider where he’s standing. The other members of the pack begin to remove their shoes for a more natural feeling run, stretching their limbs as Stiles wanders over to Derek. “Are you alright?” Stiles brushes against Derek’s leg in an effort to comfort the solemn man.

                “Yeah, I’m alright, just thinking. It was always quiet here, even before the house was burned. Now, with the building gone, it just seems more so.”

                “Maybe you’re looking at it wrong.”

                “How so?”

                “With the property cleared, you have a chance to start over. Instead of dwelling in what used to be, you can build upon what can be. Ya know? Create something from scratch. Just because we aren’t blood, doesn’t mean we aren’t family.” Stiles turns his head over his shoulder, gesturing to the teens roughhousing on the other end of the lot.

                Derek manages a half smile, “For someone who has seen a lot of terrible things, and been through a lot, present situation included, you are strangely optimistic. Thank you.”

                “What for?”

                “Just in general, thank you. What do you say we get this started, huh?”

                The excited bark gets the attention of the others and they all begin to gather at the edge of the tree line. Derek sheds his clothes to the backs of the others before he shifts into his full wolf form. Stiles waits patiently by Derek’s side as Scott takes off into the woods, Isaac and Liam following shortly behind.  Derek and Stiles trod over to the tree line, listening to the bays and barks of thrill echoing through the night from those ahead.

                Derek turns to Stiles before they start. “A couple things to remember before you take off into the woods, Your vision won’t be as good as it is in the daytime, but you won’t be blind either. Watch where you’re going with more than just your eyes. Use your ears to take stock of what’s around you, scent will help you track the pack. Try not to get distracted and don’t look down at your feet. Trust your reflexes to get you where you’re going. Looking down is a great way to run headfirst into a tree.”

                “Speaking from experience?” Stiles rolls his tongue out in mock of Derek.

                “I had to learn to run on all fours too. If you don’t want my advice….” Derek bolts off into the woods.

                “Jerk!” Stiles runs after him.

                “Try to keep up, mini-mut!” Derek loops around behind Stiles, playfully kicking dirt in his direction as he pulls back out in front of him.

                “I might be new at this, but I’m a quick enough study to know you’re gonna need to go faster!” Stiles quickly begins to gain speed, creeping up on Derek’s tempered pace. He nips at Derek’s tail but the wolf quickly begins to pull away.

                “Not bad, Stilinski. Let’s see what those legs can really do! The terrain up here gets a little tougher, so watch for low branches and loose rocks.”

                Stiles lowers his body to get a better baring. He takes mental notes of the way the earth shifts beneath his feet, the way the dew moistened leaves smell as he nears the ones in his path. The first few branches he plows through cumbersomely before he learns when to bank out of the way. He can hear the heavy breaths of his pack mates in the distance and the more prominent one of Derek just out of his field of vision.

                As he grows more confident, Stiles can feel his pace become quicker. His strides becoming longer the harder he pushes himself. Soon he can see the silhouette of Derek, ghosting between the trees ahead. “I’m going to catch you, Sourwolf!”

                Derek risks a glance behind to see Stiles creeping up on him, and if Stiles were closer, he might have seen the somewhat startled look on his face. Derek pushes onward as he enters the company of the other pack members playing in the branches of the trees. He watches as the run and jump from base to branch with ease, flying seamlessly through the sturdier branches. They land beside Derek on the ground as Stiles breaks into the clearing just behind them, running full force to catch up. They break just before the edge of the ravine.

                Acting on instinct alone, Stiles skids to a halt between Scott and Derek, letting a long and joyous howl loose at the moon. All eyes are upon him as he finally stops to catch his breath.

                “Dude!” Scott looks excitedly at Stiles. “You grew!”

                “What?” Stiles looks himself over. Sometime during the run, his body shifted into and adult sized canine. Stiles begins to yip and wag his tail.

                “I’m guessing that’s a good thing.” Isaac interjects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to reevaluate where i was taking this story when a secondary idea crept up on me. So i wrote, and deleted, and re-wrote to try and incorporate some of what i thought i could add to this without losing my original arc.

**Author's Note:**

> More to be posted soon.


End file.
